Selective unloader mechanism for elevators



Oct. 11, 1932. s. OLSON 1,831,899

/SELECTIVE UNLOADER MECHANISM FOR ELEVATORS 4original Filed April 11. 195o Patented Oct. 11, 1932 UNITED STATESIPAIENT eFH-CE1" SAMUEL oLsoN, oFoAx PAanjILLINoIs, assit-*Non To smnnL oLsoN a coMrANY, 1nd,. or cnrcaeo, ILLINOIS, a co'nronarron or ILLINoIs v sELEcTIvn UNLoAnEa 'MECHANISMFFOR ELEvA'rons v original application led April l11, 1930, Serial No. 448,305. Divided and this application ledtJ'unle 2,

1931. SerialNo.' 541,595,

The present invention .relates to conve ors, and more particularly to conveyors o the vertically t-raveling type whichYY employ end-v the provision of mechanically operated dis. chargek mechanisms ad]acent each of aA plu-` rality of stations arranged along thel downrun of the conveyor, each of said `mechanisms including a swinging member normally arranged or closing the effective discharge opening at the respective stations, and means associated with each member adapted to be selectively actuated by means on a carrier the path of a carrier for intercepting a load and discharging it at said selected station. The invention consists in certain features and elements of constructiomin combination, as herein shown and described and as indicated by the claims.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a sectional elevation of a vertical conveyor embodying the .present invention; taken substantially as indicated at line,

1-1, on Figure 2. i l

Figure 2 is a horizontal transverse section through the conveyor taken substantially as indicated at line, 2 2, on Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken at line, 3 3, on Figure 1( -Y i Figures 4 and 5 arel enlarged plan and ele- .,vational views of my improved form of carrier arm used in connection with-the present 3 invention..

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view looking down upon the detent mechanism and taken substantially Vas indicated at line, 6 6, on Figure 1.-

C3 The present invention is a division of my the down-run of the conveyortgfAnother for causing said member to be swung into -path of travel and which may be understood toA correspond toL floor levels in a building.

co-pending application Serial No. 443,305 filed April 11,1930.

Referring now in detail to the drawing,`the vertical conveyor embodying this invention includes one or more endless belts or chains indicated generally at 10, arranged for-traveling over head wheels, `11, and foot wheels not shown. The continuous belts which are herein shown as two in number are arranged as a pair and provided with load carriers indicated at 12, spaced vat suitable intervals along the belts. These load carriers include' a pair of transversely spaced end members, 13Y and a plurality of intermediate members, 14. These lingers are arranged to project in substantially the same planeas shown in horizontal direction, forming a'ngered tray, the outer ends` of Which are free and the inner ends of which are `rigidly secured to a rock shaft, 15, journaled in the flexible belts. The end members, 13, of the carriers are providedl .With a pairof rearwardly extending legs, 16, divergingl outwardl with respect to each other and having Journaled at their ends rollers, 18, which are guided and conined bel75 `tween the vertical legs of a pair of upwardly extending structural members, 19, which form the guideways and insure movement of the carriers in a true path, for maintaining said carriers in substantially horizontal relation for supporting the load. As will be apl.parent from the drawing, the construction of the carrier is such that it is reversible so vthat it presents a substantially similar load Y supporting surface on either the down-run side or the up-run" side of the conveyor.

, A A plurality of discharge stations indicated generally at A are arrange along the downrun side of the vertical conveyor adjacent its The vertical walls adjacent each of these stations is formed with a vertical opening, B, for convenient access to the conveyor. To 'prevent possible injury to attendants it is preferable to protect the openings at the respective stations when thesestations are not serving to receivevor discharge loads;l For this purv 1 pose there is mounted in each of the openings for swinging about a hinge axis of a rock 10 shaft indicated at 2l, a grille, 22, which when in vertical position substantially occupies the space ot' the opening. This grille n'ieinber 'is adapted to serve as a load-interceptiiig platform and is arranged to be swung about its axis which as shown is adjacent the lower end thereof so that said grille member may be projected into the path ot travel of the load carriers, 12, forming an outwardly and downwardly inclined surface for skidding the loads otf of the carriers as they travel in a downward direction. As may be seen' in the drawing, this grille member is composed of a plurality of transversely spaced fingers, 23, which are spaced at intervals for intermembering with the linger members, 13 and 14 of the carrier, as illustrated in Figure 2 so as to permit the carrier to pass through.

the interceptiiig platform or `grille member and the load carried thereon will thus be engaged by these fingers, 23, and skidded out- Wardly through the opening, B. To assist in discharging the loads I preferably provide an extension indicated at C, which aligns with the surface ot the inter-membering platform or grille member when it. is disposed inl operative position as seen at the upper station in Figure 1. To selectively discharge a load at a predetermined station along the downi'iiii of the conveyor there is provided at the respective stations suitable mechanismrwhich is adapted to be actuated'by means on the carrier, it being understood that said means on the carrier may be so located as to operate `the mechanism at a certain predetermined discharge station.

The discharge inechaiiisii'is at the respective stations each include an operating arm, 25, pivotally mounted at 26 to the wall of the elevator shaft with its camming or tail portion, 27, projecting adjacent the path of travel of the carriers andarranged to be engaged by a. projection, 28, carried by the adjacent outer member. 13, of the carrier. 'Convnectcd to the opposite end of the operating arm, 25, is an upwardly extending link, 30, whose lower end is pivotally connected toa crank arm, 31, 'which is rigidly connected td the grille or intercepting platform, 22, as seen in .Figure 1. A spring, 32, encompasses the lower end ot the link, 30, and reacts at one end against. a tixed stop, 33, secured to the vertical wall and at the other end against a stop shoulder, 30a, of said link for normally holding the operating arm, 25,'in operative position, and the grille, 22, disposed in vertical relation for effectively closing the opening, B. It will be apparent that electrical 4means may be substituted forthe projection on the carrier and cooperating linkage above described, for shifting the load-intercepting platform into operative position.'

It may be understood that thc cainming surface or tail portions, 27 of the operating arms are dimensioned so as to be engaged by a projection located in a position ot' adjustment for actuating the discharge mechanism at a predetermined station. To further insure against possible diiiiculty especially where the carriers have a comparatively short hoi-izontal extension and where it is desired to have a substantial number of discharge stations. In such instances it may be understood that the operating arms of the operating mechanisms provided at successivev lower discharge stations are so designed that their camming or tail portions, 27, extend successively fartherinwardly than the camming or tail portionsof the arms located at the station above. By this arrangement I insure that the projection located in a definite position on the carrier will cause actuation of the arm only at a certain discharge station.

When the proj cction, 28, on the carrier engages the cam portion of the operating arm, 25, and rocksit about its pivot against the reaction of the spring, 32, swinging the grille or intercepting platform to the inclined position as seen in Figure 1 in the path of travel of the load carrier, a laterally extending pin, 34, which is carried by an arm, 35, which is rigid with the arm, 31, on the grille,'is engaged by a latch or 'detain-36, and the parts are yieldingly held in such position by a spring member, 37,y engaging the lower end of the latch member, 36, as seen in the drawing.

To obtain proper selectivity for operating the discharge mechanism at a desired station I have devised an improved construction which facilitates the locating of the actu# ating projection on the cairier and prevents it being inadvertentlydisplaced. This improved arrangement consists in forming the end members, 13, of the carriers adjacent the control arms with longitudinally extending slots, 39, and the outer surface surrounding the slot is formed with a series of offsets in the nature ot' inclined projections, 40, which serve as seats for a, (io-operatively formed wedge-like washer, 41, which carries the projection, 28. The projection is formed with a stem portion which extends through the slot in the end member lof the carrier and is cncompassed by a coil spring, 42, which serves to yieldingly hold the wedge member, 41, in position against the tapered seat formed by one of the projections, 40. Thus by merely compressing the spring so that the wedgelike portion, 41, may be raised above the inclined seats, 40, the washer, 41, together with its projection, 28, may be readily shifted toward or away from the axis of the carrier to any other desired position of adjustment which will correspond to a position for actuating a certain control or operating arm, y25, at a predetermined discharge station.

It will be understood that the lug projection or tail piece, 38, of the latch member, 36, will be located at different positions at the respective stations so as to be engaged only -by a properly located projection, 28, on a carrier which serves to actuate the operating arm, 25, at a corresponding station. It Will be manifest that after the projection on the carrier has actuated the operating arm, 25, at a selected station as the carrier approaches the station, thereby shifting the intercepting platform or skid, 22, (normally the grille for closing the opening, B) to an inclined position in the path of travel of loads on the carrier and the continued downward travel of the carrier will result in engagement of the load with the skid for discharging said load at the'corresponding station, and after the carrier passes beyond the intercepting platform the projection, 28, on the carrier will engage the tail portion, 38, of the latch member and rock it about its hinge connection, 38a, so as to release the pin, 34, rigidly associated with the intermembering platform and thereby permit said platform or; grille, together with the operating linkage to be returned to original inoperative position under the control of the coil spring, 321 As will bel noted in the drawing the discharge mechanisms at the respective stations are arranged for co-operation with one side of the carrier, although if desired the mechanism could be so arranged as to operate simultaneous/ly by engagement with both sides of the carrier. The side of the carrier not employed for discharge mechanisms on the down-run of the conveyor may be employed for selectively controlling discharge mechanisms on the up-run of the conveyor, such as disclosed in my co-pending above referred to appliv cation.

Although I 'have shown and described a preferred embodiment of Vthe present invention, it will be understood that it is capable of modification and rearrangement of the parts and thatsubstitute or equivalent "mechanisms and devices may be embodied therein without departing from the spirit and scope"- thereof. I do not therefore Wish to be understood as limiting myself to the construci tion herein shown and described, except as indicated in the appended claims.

I claim i 1. In combination with a vertically travelin conveyor having a continuous belt and drlving means therefor, a load carrier extending laterally and substantially horizontally from said belt and provided with a plurality of transversely spaced'jload vsupporting discharge of the load thereat, each-ofk said mechanisms including a load-intercepting platform mounted for swinging about a horizontal axis and means holding it normall out of load-intercepting position, said plat orm being adapted to be tilted into the' 70 path of travel of a carrier for receiving and discharging the load, and automatically operating means independent of the platform` tilting means for releasably locking the platform in load-intercepting position.

2. In combination with a vertically traveling conveyor having a continuous belt and driving means therefor, a load carrier extending laterally from said belt and provided with transversely spaced supporting members, load discharging mechanism located adjacent each of a plurality of stations arranged along the down-run of the belt, each of said mechanisms including an operating arm and a load-intercepting platform pivotally 'mounted for tilting into the path of travel lof the carrier for receiving the load therefrom, and means on the carrier including a laterally adjustable projection for selectively engaging an arm of the mechanism at a predetermined station for shifting said platform into operative relation, said mechanisms each including a detent associated with the platform for engaging and temporarily holding said platform in such position during discharge of the load, said detent having an arm adapted to be en agedy by the projection on the carrier after 1t has discharged its load for automatically releasing the detent and permitting said platform .100 to be moved out of the path of travel of the carrier and returned to inoperative position.

3. In the construction delined'in claim 2, yielding means tending to return said platform to inoperative position after release of 105 the detent.

4. The construction defined in claim 1, said automatic locking means having a part eX- tending for cooperation with means on the carrier and said means coo erating with said 110 part for releasing said loc ing means inthe ing members, mechanically operated load -l. .-xdjscharging mechanism located adjacent 

